Hemis National Park
Encyclopedia
Hemis National Park is a high altitude national park
in the eastern Ladakh
region of the state of Jammu and Kashmir
in India
. It is the only national park in India north of the Himalayas, the largest notified protected area in India
(and thus the largest national park of India
), and is the second largest contiguous protected area after the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve and surrounding protected areas. The park is home to a number of species of endangered mammals including the snow leopard
. Hemis National Park is India's only protected area inside the Palearctic ecozone, outside the Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary northeast of Hemis, and the proposed Tso Lhamo Cold Desert Conservation Area in North Sikkim.
The park is bounded on the north by the banks of the Indus River
, and includes the cachements of Markha, Sumdah and Rumbak, and parts of the Zanskar Range.
It increased again in 1990 to 4400 km2 , and is presently the largest national park in South Asia
.
. Hemis was a destination and via point on the silk routes of Tibet
. Over 1,600 people live inside the park presently, with a large number of tourists and pilgrims visiting during the Hemis Tsechu festival.
ecoregion
, and contains pine forests, alpine shrublands and meadows
, and alpine tundra
.HI
s, especially in the Rumbak catchment area. The prey base for the apex predator
in the Central Asian Highlands is primarily supported in Hemis by Argali
(Great Tibetan Sheep), Bharal
(Blue Sheep), Shapu (Ladakhi Urial), and livestock. A small population of the Asiatic Ibex is also present in Hemis. Hemis is the only refuge in India containing the Shapu.
The Tibetan Wolf
,the Eurasian Brown Bear
(endangered in India), and the Red Fox
are also present in Hemis.
Small mammals include the Himalayan Marmot
, Mountain Weasel
and the Himalayan Mouse Hare.
The park is a good place to study Himalayan and Trans-Himalayan birds of prey. Among birds of prey noted here are the Golden Eagle
, the Lammergeier
vulture, and the Himalayan Griffon vulture.
The Rumbak Valley offers good opportunities for birdwatching, including several Tibetan species not common in other parts of India. Birds present here include Brown Accentor
, Robin Accentor
, Tickell's Leaf Warbler
, Streaked Rosefinch
, Tibetan Snowfinch, Chukar
, Fork-tailed Swift
, Red-billed Chough
, Himalayan Snowcock
, and the Fire-fronted Serin.
16 mammal species and 73 bird species have been recorded in the park so far.
of the Himalayas, and does not receive much precipitation. Hence, dry forests of juniper
, Populus - Salix forests, subalpine dry birch
- fir
are present at lower altitudes.
, goats, and sheep. This results in considerable animal-human conflict within the region. Snow leopards prey on livestock
, sometimes killing several animals from a single flock in one hunt. This has been attributed to the overgrazing
of livestock. Crop damage caused by bharal has also been seen.
The Department of Wildlife Protection, Government of Jammu and Kashmir is the custodian of the Hemis National Park. Any activity in the park is prohibited unless special permission is obtained from the Chief Wildlife Warden J&K. The department has initiated many projects for biodiversity conservation and rural livelihood improvement in Ladakh, including the Hemis National Park, such as
) every summer. Lodging is restricted to backcountry camps, villager homestays and accommodation at the monasteries.
has long been a place of pilgrimage for Tibetan Buddhists. However, in the late 19th and early 20th century, the monastery attracted some attention due to the writings of Nicolas Notovitch
, a Russia
n aristocrat and journalist, who claimed that Jesus had spent the missing years of his life in Tibet
and Ladakh
, specifically in Hemis. (see Lost years of Jesus
)
The national park, monastery and the Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary were prominently featured in the award-winning documentary Riding Solo to the Top of the World
.
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
in the eastern Ladakh
Ladakh
Ladakh is a region of Jammu and Kashmir, the northernmost state of the Republic of India. It lies between the Kunlun mountain range in the north and the main Great Himalayas to the south, inhabited by people of Indo-Aryan and Tibetan descent...
region of the state of Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir is the northernmost state of India. It is situated mostly in the Himalayan mountains. Jammu and Kashmir shares a border with the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to the south and internationally with the People's Republic of China to the north and east and the...
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. It is the only national park in India north of the Himalayas, the largest notified protected area in India
Protected areas of India
As of May 2004, the protected areas of India cover , roughly 4.95% of the total surface area.-Classification:India has the following kinds of protected areas, in the sense of the word designated by IUCN:-National Park:...
(and thus the largest national park of India
National parks of India
This is a list of all national parks of India. India's first national park was established in 1936 as Hailey National Park, now known as Jim Corbett National Park. By 1970, India only had five national parks...
), and is the second largest contiguous protected area after the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve and surrounding protected areas. The park is home to a number of species of endangered mammals including the snow leopard
Snow Leopard
The snow leopard is a moderately large cat native to the mountain ranges of South Asia and Central Asia...
. Hemis National Park is India's only protected area inside the Palearctic ecozone, outside the Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary northeast of Hemis, and the proposed Tso Lhamo Cold Desert Conservation Area in North Sikkim.
The park is bounded on the north by the banks of the Indus River
Indus River
The Indus River is a major river which flows through Pakistan. It also has courses through China and India.Originating in the Tibetan plateau of western China in the vicinity of Lake Mansarovar in Tibet Autonomous Region, the river runs a course through the Ladakh district of Jammu and Kashmir and...
, and includes the cachements of Markha, Sumdah and Rumbak, and parts of the Zanskar Range.
History of the Park
The park was initially founded in 1981 by protecting the Rumbak and Markha catchments, an area of about 600 km2. It grew in 1988 to around 3350 km2, by incorporating neighboring lands.It increased again in 1990 to 4400 km2 , and is presently the largest national park in South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
.
Human History
The park houses numerous Tibetan gumphas and holy chortens within its boundaries. These include the famous 400-year old Hemis MonasteryHemis Monastery
Hemis Monastery is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery of the Drukpa Lineage, located in Hemis, Ladakh . Situated 45 km from Leh, the monastery was re-established in 1672 by the Ladakhi king Sengge Namgyal...
. Hemis was a destination and via point on the silk routes of Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
. Over 1,600 people live inside the park presently, with a large number of tourists and pilgrims visiting during the Hemis Tsechu festival.
Natural history
The park lies within the Karakoram-West Tibetan Plateau alpine steppeKarakoram-West Tibetan Plateau alpine steppe
The Karakoram-West Tibetan Plateau alpine steppe is a montane grasslands and shrublands ecoregion found in parts of Pakistan, China, Afghanistan, and India.-Setting:...
ecoregion
Ecoregion
An ecoregion , sometimes called a bioregion, is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than an ecozone and larger than an ecosystem. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of land or water, and contain characteristic, geographically distinct assemblages of natural...
, and contains pine forests, alpine shrublands and meadows
Montane grasslands and shrublands
Montane grasslands and shrublands is a biome defined by the World Wildlife Fund. The biome includes high altitude grasslands and shrublands around the world....
, and alpine tundra
Alpine tundra
Alpine tundra is a natural region that does not contain trees because it is at high altitude. Alpine tundra is distinguished from arctic tundra, because alpine soils are generally better drained than arctic soils...
.HI
Fauna
The park is home to a viable breeding population of about 200 snow leopardSnow Leopard
The snow leopard is a moderately large cat native to the mountain ranges of South Asia and Central Asia...
s, especially in the Rumbak catchment area. The prey base for the apex predator
Apex predator
Apex predators are predators that have no predators of their own, residing at the top of their food chain. Zoologists define predation as the killing and consumption of another organism...
in the Central Asian Highlands is primarily supported in Hemis by Argali
Argali
The argali, or the mountain sheep is a wild sheep, which roams the highlands of Central Asia . It is the biggest wild sheep, standing at the shoulder, measuring long and weighing , with a maximum known weight of...
(Great Tibetan Sheep), Bharal
Bharal
The bharal or Himalayan blue sheep or naur, Pseudois nayaur, is a caprid found in the high Himalayas of Nepal, Tibet, China, India, Pakistan, and Bhutan...
(Blue Sheep), Shapu (Ladakhi Urial), and livestock. A small population of the Asiatic Ibex is also present in Hemis. Hemis is the only refuge in India containing the Shapu.
The Tibetan Wolf
Tibetan wolf
The Tibetan wolf , also known as the woolly wolf, is a subspecies of grey wolf native to Central Asia from Turkestan, Tien Shan throughout Tibet to Mongolia, northern China, Shensi, Sichuan, Yunnan, and the western Himalayas in Kashmir from Chitral to Lahul. They also occur in the Korean peninsula...
,the Eurasian Brown Bear
Eurasian Brown Bear
The Eurasian brown bear is a subspecies of brown bear, found across northern Eurasia. The Eurasian brown bear is also known as the common brown bear, European brown bear and colloquially by many other names....
(endangered in India), and the Red Fox
Red Fox
The red fox is the largest of the true foxes, as well as being the most geographically spread member of the Carnivora, being distributed across the entire northern hemisphere from the Arctic Circle to North Africa, Central America, and the steppes of Asia...
are also present in Hemis.
Small mammals include the Himalayan Marmot
Himalayan marmot
The Himalayan marmot is a marmot found in the Himalayan regions ranging in elevation from . They can be seen in the Deosai plains in Pakistan and Ladakh in India. They are about the size of a large housecat, and live in colonies. Marmota himalayana is closely related to the woodchuck, the hoary...
, Mountain Weasel
Mountain Weasel
The mountain weasel , also known as the pale weasel, Altai weasel or solongoi, is a species of weasel that prefer to live in environments that are usually high in altitude as well as rocky tundra and grassy woodlands covered in green vegetation.They rest in rock crevices, tree trunks, and...
and the Himalayan Mouse Hare.
The park is a good place to study Himalayan and Trans-Himalayan birds of prey. Among birds of prey noted here are the Golden Eagle
Golden Eagle
The Golden Eagle is one of the best known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. Once widespread across the Holarctic, it has disappeared from many of the more heavily populated areas...
, the Lammergeier
Lammergeier
The Lammergeier, Lammergeyer, or Bearded Vulture, Gypaetus barbatus , is the only member of the genus Gypaetus. Traditionally considered an Old World vulture, it actually forms a minor lineage of Accipitridae together with the Egyptian Vulture , its closest living relative...
vulture, and the Himalayan Griffon vulture.
The Rumbak Valley offers good opportunities for birdwatching, including several Tibetan species not common in other parts of India. Birds present here include Brown Accentor
Brown Accentor
The Brown Accentor is a species of bird in the Prunellidae family. It is found in Afghanistan, China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan....
, Robin Accentor
Robin Accentor
The Robin Accentor is a species of bird in the Prunellidae family. It is found in Bhutan, China, India, Nepal, and Pakistan.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded on 27 July 2007.-External links:*...
, Tickell's Leaf Warbler
Tickell's Leaf Warbler
Tickell's Leaf-warbler is a leaf warbler found in Asia. The species has a yellowish underside and supercilium. It is a common bird watchers' target in this region.-External links:*...
, Streaked Rosefinch
Streaked Rosefinch
The Streaked Rosefinch is a true finch species . It is one of the rosefinches that might belong in the genus Rubicilla or Uragus....
, Tibetan Snowfinch, Chukar
Chukar
The Chukar Partridge or Chukar is a Eurasian upland gamebird in the pheasant family Phasianidae. It has been considered to form a superspecies complex along with the Rock Partridge, Philby's Partridge and Przevalski's Partridge and treated in the past as conspecific particularly with the first...
, Fork-tailed Swift
Fork-tailed Swift
Fork-tailed Swift is the historic name of a kind of bird which has since been divided taxonomically into four species. It could refer to any of four different species of swifts:*Pacific Swift, Apus pacificus*Salim Ali's Swift, Apus salimali...
, Red-billed Chough
Red-billed Chough
The Red-billed Chough or Chough , Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax, is a bird in the crow family; it is one of only two species in the genus Pyrrhocorax...
, Himalayan Snowcock
Himalayan Snowcock
The Himalayan Snowcock is a snowcock in the pheasant family Phasianidae found across the Himalayan ranges and parts of the adjoining Pamir range of Asia. It is found on alpine pastures and on steep rocky cliffs where they will dive down the hill slopes to escape. It overlaps with the slightly...
, and the Fire-fronted Serin.
16 mammal species and 73 bird species have been recorded in the park so far.
Flora
This region is in the rain shadowRain shadow
A rain shadow is a dry area on the lee side of a mountainous area. The mountains block the passage of rain-producing weather systems, casting a "shadow" of dryness behind them. As shown by the diagram to the right, the warm moist air is "pulled" by the prevailing winds over a mountain...
of the Himalayas, and does not receive much precipitation. Hence, dry forests of juniper
Juniper
Junipers are coniferous plants in the genus Juniperus of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on taxonomic viewpoint, there are between 50-67 species of juniper, widely distributed throughout the northern hemisphere, from the Arctic, south to tropical Africa in the Old World, and to the...
, Populus - Salix forests, subalpine dry birch
Birch
Birch is a tree or shrub of the genus Betula , in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the beech/oak family, Fagaceae. The Betula genus contains 30–60 known taxa...
- fir
Fir
Firs are a genus of 48–55 species of evergreen conifers in the family Pinaceae. They are found through much of North and Central America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, occurring in mountains over most of the range...
are present at lower altitudes.
Environmental issues
Over 1,600 people live inside the park boundaries, mostly pastoralists raising poultryPoultry
Poultry are domesticated birds kept by humans for the purpose of producing eggs, meat, and/or feathers. These most typically are members of the superorder Galloanserae , especially the order Galliformes and the family Anatidae , commonly known as "waterfowl"...
, goats, and sheep. This results in considerable animal-human conflict within the region. Snow leopards prey on livestock
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
, sometimes killing several animals from a single flock in one hunt. This has been attributed to the overgrazing
Overgrazing
Overgrazing occurs when plants are exposed to intensive grazing for extended periods of time, or without sufficient recovery periods. It can be caused by either livestock in poorly managed agricultural applications, or by overpopulations of native or non-native wild animals.Overgrazing reduces the...
of livestock. Crop damage caused by bharal has also been seen.
The Department of Wildlife Protection, Government of Jammu and Kashmir is the custodian of the Hemis National Park. Any activity in the park is prohibited unless special permission is obtained from the Chief Wildlife Warden J&K. The department has initiated many projects for biodiversity conservation and rural livelihood improvement in Ladakh, including the Hemis National Park, such as
- Project Snow Leopard for Conserving the entire Himalayan biosphere. The project was initiated by the department in 2004 and was formally launched on 20 February 2009.
- Ladakh Eco tourism Project
- Ladakh Homestays: A program for providing tourists with access to homestays in local villagers' residences (source of additional income).
- Nature Guide Training for the educated unemployed youth.
- Eco Cafe for the women Help Group to run the cafe and sell the local handicraft products to the tourist.
- Creation of a no-grazing zone for domestic livestock
- Predator-proofing livestock pens in the area
Tourist activities in the park
No metalled or motorable roads traverse the park. The park offers a number of routes for trekking from mid-June to mid-October. The best season for spotting snow leopards, is, however, in late winter. The historic Hemis Monastery is home to the Hemis Festival (Hemis TsechuTsechu
Tsechu are annual religious Bhutanese festivals held in each district or dzongkhag of Bhutan on the tenth day of a month of the lunar Tibetan calendar. The month depends on the place, but usually is around the time of October. Tsechus are religious festivals of Drukpa Buddhism...
) every summer. Lodging is restricted to backcountry camps, villager homestays and accommodation at the monasteries.
Approach
- Nearest airport: Leh Kushok Bakula Rimpochee AirportLeh Kushok Bakula Rimpochee AirportLeh Kushok Bakula Rinpoche Airport is an airport in Leh, Jammu and Kashmir, India. It's one of the highest airports in the world at above mean sea level...
, Leh district about 5 km away - Nearest railhead: KalkaKalkaKalka is a town in the Panchkula district of Haryana, India. The name of the town is derived from the goddess Kali. The town is situated in the foothills of the Himalayas and is a gateway to the neighbouring state of Himachal Pradesh. It is on the National Highway 22 between Chandigarh and Shimla,...
, HaryanaHaryanaHaryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south... - Nearest highway: Leh-Manali HighwayLeh-Manali HighwayThe Leh-Manali Highway is a highway in India connecting Leh and Manali. It is open only between June and mid-September when snow is cleared from the road by the Border Roads Organisation. It connects the Manali valley to Kullu valley, Lahaul and Spiti and Ladakh...
, and National Highway 1D (SrinagarSrinagarSrinagar is the summer seasonal capital of Jammu and Kashmir. It is situated in Kashmir Valley and lies on the banks of the Jhelum River, a tributary of the Indus. It is one of the largest cities in India not to have a Hindu majority. The city is famous for its gardens, lakes and houseboats...
- KargilKargil townKargil is a town, which serves as the headquarters of Kargil District of Ladakh in the state of Jammu and Kashmir in India. It is the second largest town in Ladakh after Leh...
- Leh), both near the Northern borders of the park - Nearest town: There are quite a few villages, and gumphas (monasteries) inside the national park
- Nearest city: The city of Leh is 10 km to the north of the park.
In popular culture and religion
The 400-year-old Hemis MonasteryHemis Monastery
Hemis Monastery is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery of the Drukpa Lineage, located in Hemis, Ladakh . Situated 45 km from Leh, the monastery was re-established in 1672 by the Ladakhi king Sengge Namgyal...
has long been a place of pilgrimage for Tibetan Buddhists. However, in the late 19th and early 20th century, the monastery attracted some attention due to the writings of Nicolas Notovitch
Nicolas Notovitch
Nicolas Notovitch was a Russian aristocrat, Cossack officer, spy and journalist known for his contention that during the years of Jesus Christ's life missing from the Bible, he followed travelling merchants abroad into India and the Hemis Monastery in Ladakh, India, where he studied Buddhism.-Life...
, a Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n aristocrat and journalist, who claimed that Jesus had spent the missing years of his life in Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
and Ladakh
Ladakh
Ladakh is a region of Jammu and Kashmir, the northernmost state of the Republic of India. It lies between the Kunlun mountain range in the north and the main Great Himalayas to the south, inhabited by people of Indo-Aryan and Tibetan descent...
, specifically in Hemis. (see Lost years of Jesus
Lost years of Jesus
The lost years of Jesus concerns the undocumented timespan between Jesus's childhood and the beginning of his ministry as recorded in the New Testament....
)
The national park, monastery and the Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary were prominently featured in the award-winning documentary Riding Solo to the Top of the World
Riding Solo to the Top of the World
Riding Solo to the Top of the World is a documentary film on the Chang pas of Ladakh, in India, about a journey of self-discovery.-Plot summary:...
.